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Technical Assistance and Resources for Communities

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office) offers resources and provides technical assistance to communities at all stages of interest, planning, and deployment of electric mobility technologies.

Communities across America are essential to the development of an electrified transportation system that is convenient, affordable, reliable, equitable, and safe. As the nation experiences the most significant transportation transformation in a century, coupled with innovative but unfamiliar approaches to clean transportation, communities need support. The Joint Office is dedicated to partnering with communities to ensure a successful transition to a clean transportation infrastructure. Funding is critical to the success of efforts to deploy a network of electric vehicle chargers and zero-emission fueling infrastructure. The Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program and the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program provide dedicated funding to help support the transition to a clean transportation infrastructure.

Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program

The CFI Discretionary Grant Program from the Federal Highway Administration provides $2.5 billion through two $1.25 billion discretionary grant programs to strategically deploy publicly accessible EV charging and alternative fueling infrastructure in communities where people live and work and along designated alternative fuel corridors (AFCs):

  • Community Charging and Fueling Grants: This program will strategically deploy publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure and hydrogen, propane, and natural gas fueling infrastructure in urban and rural communities.
  • Alternative Fuel Corridor Grants: This program will strategically deploy publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure and hydrogen, propane, and natural gas fueling infrastructure along designated AFCs.

These programs will ensure infrastructure deployments meet priorities such as increasing access in underserved and overburdened communities (also referred to as disadvantaged communities), supporting rural areas, building resilient infrastructure, addressing climate change, and improving AFC networks.

Another resource to guide the buildout of community alternative fueling infrastructure is the Alternative Fuel Life-Cycle Environmental and Economic Transportation (AFLEET) CFI Emissions Tool. This resource can assess estimated emissions reductions from EV charging infrastructure and hydrogen, propane, and natural gas fueling infrastructure along designated AFCs.

National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program

The $5 billion NEVI Formula Program provides dedicated funding to states to strategically deploy EV charging infrastructure and establish an interconnected network to facilitate data collection, access, and reliability.

Under this program, each state is required to submit an annual EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan that describes how the state intends to use its apportioned NEVI Formula Program funds in accordance with federal guidance.

Funding

Securing funding is critical to the success of efforts to deploy a network of electric vehicle chargers, zero-emission fueling infrastructure, and zero-emission transit and school buses. The Joint Office continually lists updates on funding opportunities.

Funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) are also listed on Grants.gov, the portal for numerous grant programs administered by federal government agencies, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) eXCHANGE for all EERE FOAs.

Resources

Below are resources for communities preparing to plan and deploy EV charging infrastructure.

This toolkit from U.S Department of Transportation (DOT) serves as a one-stop resource to help urban communities scope, plan, and identify ways to fund electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, supporting diverse forms of electric mobility including travel by personal vehicle, transit, micromobility (e.g., electric bicycles and scooters), and ride-sharing services.

This toolkit provides resources from DOT to assist rural stakeholders with planning for EV charging infrastructure.

This help sheet from the Joint Office provides tips for conducting community engagement to support EV infrastructure planning and deployment.

This guidance document from the Rocky Mountain Institute, Interstate Renewable Energy Council, and the Sustainable Energy Action Committee supports local code officials with planning and zoning for EV charger deployment.

These summaries from DOE's Clean Cities Coalition Network draw out lessons learned and key considerations for engaging stakeholders, strategies for improving the equitable distribution of project benefits, site selection factors, and permitting/policy elements for EV charging projects.

This is the educational media channel of DOE’s Clean Cities Coalition Network.

The Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) provides information, data, and tools to help fleets and other transportation decision makers find ways to reach their energy and economic goals using alternative and renewable fuels, advanced vehicles, and other fuel-saving measures.

The Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool identifies census tracts that are overburdened and underserved.

Technical Assistance

Technical assistance is available to help community stakeholders implement electric and low- and zero-emission technologies.

Joint Office Community Technical Assistance

The Joint Office provides technical assistance to states, communities, and tribal nations implementing projects under federally funded EV charging opportunities. Technical assistance resources are also available to transit agencies and school districts deploying low- and zero-emission school buses. Technical assistance support can range from quick responses to questions on funding opportunities, data, and resources to in-depth, hands-on assistance and analysis. In-depth technical assistance connects communities with a research team who provides direct technical support to help accelerate the successful deployment of zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure.

Examples of in-depth technical assistance include:

  • Planning for deployment of EV chargers and zero-emission fueling infrastructure.
  • On-site battery energy storage and mobile power generation options.
  • Power needs analysis and tips for working with your local utility.
  • Infrastructure siting needs and support.
  • Training and workforce development opportunities.

Contact us to request Joint Office technical assistance.

Other Available Technical Assistance

  • Clean Energy to Communities Program – Through the Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) Program, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, other national laboratory experts, and select organizations provide three types of technical assistance support to communities to address clean energy challenges and questions, including in-depth partnerships, peer-learning cohorts, and expert match.
  • Department of Transportation Thriving Communities – Provides technical assistance, planning, and capacity building support.
  • Clean Cities – The Clean Cities Coalition Network supports transportation stakeholders through technical assistance with alternative fuels, fuel economy improvements, and emerging transportation technologies.